1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Kimchi refrigerator, and more particularly, to a Kimchi refrigerator that emits light into storage compartments, in which Kimchi is stored, to improve taste of the Kimchi and a control method of the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a Kimchi refrigerator is a refrigerator manufactured to ferment Kimchi and keep it with the same taste as possible as it can. The Kimchi refrigerator can store Kimchi with keeping the taste for a longer period of time than ordinary refrigerators. In addition, the Kimchi refrigerator can control the fermenting state of the Kimchi. Furthermore, the Kimchi refrigerator adopts the principle of a Korean Kimchi jar buried in the ground to ferment and keep Kimchi during the winter season, so as to minimize the change in temperature of Kimchi and prevent the Kimchi from contacting air to be changed in terms of taste, thereby maintaining the taste of the Kimchi in a fresh state for a long period of time.
Generally, the keeping temperature of a conventional Kimchi refrigerator is maintained between 0° C. and −2° C. because it is known that the change in acidity of Kimchi is the smallest in this range of temperature. A temperature of the storage compartment may be controlled by a method of circulating cool air by force using a cooling fan or by a natural convention in the storage compartment.
The latter is characterized in that the cooling speed is relatively slow, the power consumption is small, and the noise is small. For this reason, the latter is mainly used for small-sized refrigerators. The former is characterized in that the cooling speed is relatively fast, the power consumption is large, and the noise is big. For this reason, the former is mainly used for large-sized refrigerators.
A brief description will be given below as to how storage compartments of a Kimchi refrigerator are cooled by a cooling system in the Kimchi refrigerator.
Refrigerant is compressed into a high temperature and high pressure state by a compressor, and the high-temperatured and high-pressured refrigerant is transmitted to a condenser through a refrigerant pipe. Subsequently, the refrigerant is liquefied by the condenser, and the liquefied refrigerant is transmitted to an expansion valve through a refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant changes into a low temperatured and low pressured state through the expansion valve. The low-temperatured and low-pressured refrigerant is transmitted to an evaporator, which is mounted such that the evaporator surrounds the outsides of the storage compartments. The refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporator. As a result, the refrigerant instantaneously takes heat away from the periphery of the refrigerant, and therefore, the storage compartments, in which Kimchi is stored, are cooled.
Hereinafter, the storage compartment structure of a conventional Kimchi refrigerator will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
A conventional Kimchi refrigerator 10 includes upper Kimchi storage compartments 21 and lower Kimchi storage compartments 31 for storing Kimchi. The conventional Kimchi refrigerator 10 also includes upper doors 27 to open and close the corresponding upper Kimchi storage compartments 21 in a hingedly rotating fashion, and lower doors 37 to open and close the corresponding lower Kimchi storage compartments 31 in a sliding fashion.
The upper doors 27 are mounted at the top part of a refrigerator body of the Kimchi refrigerator 10 to open and close the corresponding upper Kimchi storage compartments 21, whereas the lower doors 37 are mounted at the front part of the refrigerator body of the Kimchi refrigerator 10 to open and close the corresponding lower Kimchi storage compartments 31. The upper doors 27 are constructed in a structure in which the upper doors 27 are opened and closed in a hingedly rotating fashion, whereas the lower doors 37 are constructed in a structure in which the lower doors 37 are opened and closed in a sliding fashion.
The doors 27 and 37 may be made of the same material as the refrigerator body of the Kimchi refrigerator 10. In addition, the doors 27 and 37 may be filled with a heat insulating material. Gaskets (not shown) are mounted at the edges of the respective upper and lower doors 27 and 37 to seal the Kimchi storage compartments 21 and 31, thereby preventing the inflow and outflow of air between the Kimchi storage compartments 21 and 31 and the outside of the Kimchi refrigerator 10.
Although not shown, on the other hand, an additional machinery compartment is located in the refrigerator body of the Kimchi refrigerator 10. In the machinery compartment are mounted several parts for a cooling system such as a compressor to compress refrigerant flowing through an evaporator while the parts are connected with each other. In addition, various parts such as various kinds of control units and various kinds of sensors, which are necessary to ripen Kimchi and store the Kimchi for a long period of time, are mounted at predetermined positions in the Kimchi refrigerator 10.
At the front part of the refrigerator body of the Kimchi refrigerator 10 is mounted a control panel 40 to control the overall operation of the Kimchi refrigerator.
In the above, the Kimchi refrigerator in which the Kimchi storage compartments are located at the upper and lower parts of the Kimchi refrigerator was described as an example. However, a Kimchi refrigerator in which the upper and lower parts are not divided or a Kimchi refrigerator in which refrigerating compartments to store various kinds of food or freezing compartments to store various kinds of food are integrally coupled with each other may be also used.
In the conventional Kimchi refrigerator with the above-stated construction, the inside temperature of the storage compartments is adjusted to control the degree of fermentation. However, controlling the degree of fermentation by the adjustment of the temperature has a limit. More specifically, Kimchi gets to have a delicious taste, i.e., a stinging taste which is very characteristic to Kimchi, a certain period of time after the Kimchi is made. However, as time goes, the degree of stinging taste is reduced and a sour taste of the Kimchi is increased.
Most users prefer Kimchi that is appropriately fermented and therefore provides a delicious taste. However, it is very difficult to obtain in a short period of time well-fermented Kimchi which has such a delicious taste and to maintain the delicious taste for a long time.
Furthermore, the conventional Kimchi can store Kimchi for only 6 months in terms of taste. After 6 months are passed since the Kimchi was made and put into the refrigerator, the taste becomes too acid to eat. This is because, even during the storage of the Kimchi in the keeping mode, the taste of the Kimchi gradually changes up to the point where the Kimchi is too acid and not suitable for eating.